ZA week:From mixed motives to alcohol consumption
by Blue-with-purple-polka-dots
Summary: Oneshot Prompt 3: Duty
1. Chapter 1

_It's technically Zukaang week here in Britain now! (Just past midnight here). So what the hell, I'll post this up (and possibly be one of the first to beat the rush). The first Zukaang prompt: Motive!_

_This is terrible. I apologise for not doing better on something which was a prompt -I- suggested._

_Rating T for awkwardness and such. Vague references to certain desires which you'll get if your innocence has already been shattered by someone long ago. Don't blame me. I also know I'm not good at writing physical stuff. D:_

_Some kataang too. Kind of angsty. _

_--_

**Motive.**

People had always eventually questioned Zuko's motives in the past. They likely always would on some level he finally realised when his ears had first burned from the giggles of courtiers regarding his friendship with the Avatar.

He supposed that, when you came down to it, he'd almost been asking for it. When you more or less obsessively stalk someone for YEARS, and then state to your father in a rush and flame of emotion that the only honourable thing was to stand by the same persons side against him, he perhaps shouldn't have been surprised that people started to wonder if there was something rather strange about their reigning monarch and his relationship with the world's most powerful bender. What had changed him? The theories raged far and wide in premise. Had it REALLY been simply his own internal battle as he grappled with the idea of who he was and what honour really meant... or had he chased the younger boy for another reason?

The rumours were utterly rediculous of course. From the beginning Zuko HAD only chased him in order to achieve his honour. Though admittedly, internally at least, certain events had made the whole escapade more than a little awkward, that had still not detracted him from his main aim. He also too had more or less joined him for similar reasons as he had chased him, not to mention in combination the relief of finally being able to be himself.

Perhaps, if pushed, he would admit a part of him had been slightly hopeful of a friendship rather than simply that of an ally with the airbender when he'd asked to join him.

_"Do you think we could have been friends too?"_

But romantic feelings? Hah! He'd have throttled you for even suggesting it at the time.

However, he couldn't even be bothered to set the record straight. He didn't feel it to be that important to do so. He was unsure if this was a sign of maturity or not. He knew his own past motives only too well and that was all that mattered in the end...

Or at least... he understood _most_ of his past motives better.

He did not dwell on that time, that moment, that particular... event, _every_ day or even every week, but at the strangest of moments it would suddenly capture him unexpectedly even after many years.

The night when his own motives become confused and muddied even to himself, and he could never even BEGIN to wonder how Aang must have felt or if he even thought about it anymore himself. He could not make sense of it, an event he was sometimes sure he would take back and at other times so sure he would not.

It is the one thing they never discuss.

It was the night of that terrible play. Upon going back to their temporary home much later in the night, when Zuko had found a confused young boy and had only helped by adding to his confusion.

--

_"She... I."_

_The boy trailed off and looked to the side._

_It had not been a good night. The others had retired to bed, and Zuko unable to sleep hours later, in order to clean his head of the thoughts of the cheers of his people at the fictional depiction of his death had gone outside to meditate._

_To find Aang out there already. Cross-legged, the only light being that of the moon as the boy stared put to the sea. The younger boy, while still in turmoil, had quietly listened to his own fears in fevered whispers, things he was too ashamed or too proud to tell the others just yet._

_In return, he had listened to Aang's own struggles... as well as the fact he was suffering from a young fragile broken heart._

_It enraged Zuko on some level. Here was a boy with such a large burden to bear, and the universe couldn't see to it for matters of the heart to remain uncomplicated._

_For some odd and inextricable reason, Zuko was also even more perplexed at the idea of Katara rejecting Aang then when she had first threatened his life, because at least then he could almost understand why. He had thought the girl obviously loved Aang. But even more so he could not understand how anyone could reject someone like Aang for any reason._

_This thought process also confused him even more than he could hope to imagine for some reason._

_He wasn't the best at comforting people, though he had tried:_

_"It wasn't really a no...But I'm sure she'll uh, come to her senses in time, you're the Avatar after all."_

_This off-hand comment had been the wrong thing to say:_

_"So that's the only reason she'll want me?" Aang snapped at this. "Because I'm the AVATAR?"_

_The outburst surprised the young Fire Prince and he didn't say anything. The airbender turned away, sounding bitter as his voice quavered:_

_"I- I guess, that's the only reason why ANYONE would want me though." he swallowed, "Because I'm the AVATAR. Yay for me right? I can get ANYONE I want because I'm the freaking AVATAR. Sure." he continued sarcastically._

_"Well, people DO need the Avatar and um. But... anyway. That's not..No." Zuko continued, keeping to his well defined personality trait of digging a deeper hole for himself._

_"You don't get it." the boy growled back, "I thought you of all people WOULD. I thought we were friends. But then I guess it's hard to let go of the past completely- I'm still just the Avatar to you too, right?"_

_"Aang."_

_But the monk continued as if he hadn't said anything, almost as if he wasn't there._

_"I mean that's all ANYONE wants me for right? They just want me to fight their battles for them. To be their SYMBOL. To be their HOPE. That's all I am to people. I'm just a weapon."_

_"No."_

_Deep down the monk knew this was all untrue too, but right now he just couldn't take it anymore. All the pressures in the world hailing down on him and he felt he literally could not be afforded a scrap of happiness when Katara had rejected him._

_"Don't lie to me." Aang muttered looking away as he tucked his knees under his chin. "You feel that way too."_

_"I'm not lying!" Zuko exclaimed irritated at this immature behaviour._

_"Oh yeah? Prove it." the monk had rumbled back, staring right into his eyes, in a surprisingly aggressive tone that Zuko was not used to hearing. He didn't say anything for a moment. In an almost morbid sense of triumph Aang filled the silence: "See? I'm still just a way for you to regain your hon-."_

_He was instantly silenced however when Zuko pulled him by his clothes dragging his face up to his. He did not even pause before slamming his soft lips harshly against his._

_In his shock, the younger boy had not known how to react for several seconds. Zuko, whose eyes had been shut could only imagine how he looked. He sometimes however when he looked back, imagined his silver eyes must have been widening in surprise before slowly... slowly closing as he finally returned it, at first tentatively, slow and unsure of it, before quickly giving it his all._

_Zuko had groaned then as the younger boy had roughly pushed him to the ground, gripping his hair in its great tangles as he did so, running his fingers through it as he continued to return the kiss as Zuko held him._

_Aang bit his lower lip a little, causing Zuko to open his mouth in response and Aang slipped in his tongue, and he returned his own in battle, both cool air and fire intermingling in their breath, powering each other as both of them shivered at the same time. In the heat of each other and the cool of the sea air they trembled._

_Just for a moment, Zuko had wondered how on earth a boy so young could be so forceful, so commanding and so...good at this. Then he started not to care much about this at all as it went on for who knew how long._

_The boy's taste was uncomparable to anything he had experienced before, and to this day Zuko could not ever find anything like it after. It was desire, pain and need all wrapped into one, it was overpowering, and it meshed with his own similar locked feelings all too well at the same time. Air and fire both warming and feeding each other, the perfect elements to work in unison together. Water killed Fire, Fire burned and scorched Earth, but Air... Air was what Fire needed to survive. But it also was more to do with something so much more potent and meaningful than their respective elements: in the end Aang was what Zuko needed, and in that moment Aang needed Zuko too. Someone to show him that... he wasn't afraid to show how he felt, even if he was scared about what they had to do. That what he wanted now was him. Aang. Not the Avatar but the boy._

_They were just children. They really were. Two boys too young for the burden they had had, and the one they shared in a war started by proud foolish pathetic people now dead in the ground and continued by those who were just as bad. They were too young for many things they had to do. They had to fix not only their own mistakes, but the mistakes of others at the same time._

_The injustice of it all burned Zuko, but Aang shared in this injustice, so he wasn't alone. Neither of them were. Young as they were._

_But Aang was definitly too young for this._

_Almost realising this himself in unison, both boys eyes had snapped open at the same moment. Zuko had placed a hand to his chest, pushing him up from his lips and body and Aang had without a sound practically rocketed from his position after staring at him in almost abject horror, scrambling in order to get away from him._

_Zuko had not said anything. Neither of them said anything. Zuko had then got up and without a word he had left the boy, his own cheeks flushed, and his eyes burning themselves into the back of his skull._

_Zuko glanced at his shirt, pulled out of shape it seemed, and blushed himself as he stumbled to bed awkwardly trying not to draw attention to the very similar reactions his body was having that he had felt Aang have against him moments ago._

_--_

To this day, he cannot say why he did it. Did he do it because he had wanted to prove to Aang that he cared, that he loved him was amazed by him for him and not simply as the Avatar even then?

Had he done it simply because of his own desires? Had it been almost a twisted competition? Somehow he and the Water Tribe girl almost seemed destined to fight for him, whether it was side by side or against each other. So was the sickness he felt simply his anger at losing? That it implied she could offer something he couldn't? Or was it the prize lost that was slowly killing him? Somehow, he didn't think a mere competition could grip him like this, as competitive as they both were, and sometimes it could be more than he could bear when he watched them, the happy couple, the happy family. Not every moment was hard and Katara was like the sister he never had, and he would always love Aang in some way, but some moments were hard in their presence. Still Aang would continue to help him like the friend he was, to seem to love him... in his own way. But not in the way he wanted. That they both knew he wanted. Or at least perhaps once wanted. Perhaps Aang thought it had only been physical on his end. And Zuko had not laid bare his true motives in order to help him make sense of them. And Aang though pained, would try to make it better or clearer if he did tell him. Somehow. But what benefits could there be from telling him the truth? A gulf between them was not what the world needed. And in the end, even in purely selfish terms, Zuko knew the only thing worse would not be being in his presence at all.

Still other questions continued.

In the end, had the kiss been for Aang or for himself?

Why had Aang chosen Katara and not him? Had it been merely a physical yearning for him? But Aang's own motives remained a mystery to him too.

Perhaps it was for the best he decided. Perhaps it was better if he didn't know.

_--_

_**A/N:** Yes Aang dominated Zuko even though Zuko started it. Get over it. It's more fun when Aang is forceful too. :D._

_No smut here. I can't take it when Aang is 12 in all honesty, but still some awkward stuff... I mean puberty and all that. Among other things._

_Is this AU? Or not? I can't really say to be honest. _

_Kind of one-and-a-half sided Zukaang really. How morbid._

_--_


	2. Chapter 2

**Storm.**

_Once again, I try to be an utter cheek and post this prompt up before everyone else on the basis: It's the right date in Britain right now!_

_AU! World War 2. Britain. London. The Blitz._

_Mostly a friendship piece I think than romance. But ah well. It still counts!_

_Aang is British and Zuko is German. Because hey, not all Germans were Nazis. Actually. far from it in some cases when you actually look at history._

_--_

He thought back to what had happened. Not for not the first time, Zuko cursed the name of his Uncle for bringing them to this country, and then instantly retracted it in guilt without saying a word outloud.

Zuko could be unreasonable but he wasn't made of stone. Right now, his Uncle, flew on in a different flurry, in a different sky, in a different storm of insanity, he was fighting against the enemy... his fellow Germans.

_'Fellow Germans?'_ He could almost hear his Uncle cry out, _'Zuko!This is our home now! And they fight for a mad man. We fight for honour! I may have served for them in the Great War, but now we must fight for freedom!'  
_  
Zuko resisted the urge to spit. Trying not to recall the tears of pain as he'd hugged him goodbye. They'd moved to London in the year 1938 in December without much of a penny to their names; in order to get away from his father perhaps, and not simply Hitler (to whom Iroh had openly cursed his name joyously as soon as they set foot on British soil). Less than a year later, however suddenly they were at war.

Okay so it hadn't really been _sudden_. Zuko vaguely knew from his Uncle's mutterings over the newspapers over tea that this had almost been inevitable. There had been political dance steps and rather pathetic pandering on that Chamberlin's part for a while. Or something to that effect. Then they'd given the warning: stay clear of Poland.

But Germany could not resist. And now the world had gone straight to hell, or at least it had for them. Now the blitz! The French had fallen and it was the days before the Russians and the Americans had offered help. Where people had precious little to hope for, and yet continued to do so.

Zuko thought hope was a pathetic and useless waste of energy now.

"It's okay. It'll be over soon." Zuko turned to face the much younger boy, who had got up from the other bed to where he'd been sitting. He was smiling almost peacefully. As if the rage over their heads was not happening at all.

Okay, so it was really this boys fault he was in this awkward situation, Zuko unfairly decided as he tried to resist the urge to speak. He also was hating him for causing him to waste a precious second thinking things would be okay when they wouldn't ever be in reality. Zuko had been caught unawares during the raid, chased by a boy Jet, if he recalled, down the street, screaming at him. He'd tripped over a hole, and twisted his ankle and that boy, that youth had left him there as he heard the sirens. Then HE had appeared. This impossible child had appeared out of nowhere and dragged him only a few streets away to a family shelter. Despite Zuko's protests to him to drop him. Despite his voice, despite what he was... and Zuko did not understand his motivations at all.

He should not have been jealous of this boy and his unabashed good Samaritan act. But he was. Zuko in his soul was unsure if he would have done the same thing. The air raid signal had almost ended for them and this boy had missed the public shelter due to finding him. But he'd still wanted to help him and didn't leave him behind, dragging him to a private one which was empty in a garden; though in the darkness Zuko had grunted as they'd tripped over various misplaced items. "Left for the country the poor sods." The boy had said with no trace of irony or sarcasm in his voice as he'd opened the door. He had not even drawn attention to the tear stains that had been on his face at the time only noticable now in the light of the shelter, tears Zuko had hastily wiped away, the boy simply mumbling and whispering to him that it was okay and that he knew they'd be okay here.

Zuko had felt tempted to tell him to shut up.

But Zuko was also still trying his best not to say anything. Perhaps the boy had not noticed his accent yet in the panic. His voice incriminated him. It always had. As fresh and clear as the day he had left Germany, marking him more than his scar ever had. Even BEFORE the war it had been difficult, but now it was just a nightmare. His foolish pride and his fear prevented him from going to the country like other children. He had run away fearing never returning to see his Uncle again the rumours of other children reaching him, but he regretted it more and more every day. The other street children knew of him, and it would not surprise him if this one was the same: all smiles until their ears were pricked by his accent. Jet had not been the first boy to charge at him and he would not be the last. Most people were indifferent to it, being of the belief that he was in the same boat, and he was just a child. The problem was, other children still lived in the city too, and they were sometimes less forgiving and more brutal than adults.

"My name is Aang. Aang Cohen." the boy said said brightly as this ran through his mind. "What's yours?"

"Jewish huh?" Zuko said, almost cursing himself, not just for talking at all but his exact words. The accent itself lent various conotations, even in the days before the true horrors had been discovered, and for all he knew, perhaps the boy had not noticed the accent before in reality. "I'm Zuko."

"Surname?" Aang had prompted.

"Rall." He said shortly immediately cursing himself for telling the truth, but something about this boy which caused him to do so. Also, Zuko had always been a terrible liar anyway.

"Ah, so you really ARE a Jerry." He sounded... fascinated rather than disgusted.

"...yes."

"Huh. So your dad is fighting right now? On our boys side, I mean." he quickly added, realising how that may have sounded.

"My Uncle actually." Zuko said shortly but sounded surprised that he'd guessed.

Aang simply smiled. "I actually read the newspapers. Collect them actually. I know some of you are with us. I'll show you some of them later if you want." he shrugged.

"Really." The increduality in his voice was startling.

"Hey. Don't knock it. I hear that you take English names usually but they're all having their praises sung. Just quietly, you know. Besides why else would you be here?" the boy said, giving a wink. "Nothing like keeping informed with a cup of tea. This IS England after all." he mocked slightly.

Zuko gave a thin smile, thinking how his Uncle would love this boy, trying not to be jealous of such an idea. But the he quickly frowned, his Uncle was out there in battle and he was making JOKES?

"He could die you know. My Uncle." He snapped, "He could die defending us and people will still hate him. Still hate me. Both of us. Shut up."

"Sorry I...I but...I don't hate you."

"Shut up." He was unable to take this. Why did he have to be saddled with this stupid boy?

"I don't. You're kind of a dick, and I'm sure Sokka would agree, but I like you. He's one of my friends and Katara-"

"I said shut up!" The talk of other friends scorched him, "You don't understand! My Uncle could die! I have no-one else! NO-ONE!"

There was no response at first, but then he finally spoke:

"You're not the only one who lost someone in this war you know. I mean there's a chance your Uncle will come back at least." No smile this time.

The younger boy's tone was not meant to be offensive, and it wasn't. It was calm, soft and gentle as a breeze. He was merely speaking the truth and yet it was also not devoid of emotion- his intakes being haggared and cold. But in place of it, he still tried to produce warmth. He had simply hidden his pain well but now Zuko saw it when he looked into his eyes. Zuko stared at him as he finally turned his head away, slightly unnerved perhaps himself at the proding look.

"My foster father.... he was a rabbi you know. One day the letters just stopped. I ran away from the orphanage and... when I changed my mind... it was gone. They all were. It was the... first time the bombs hit." He continued, a swallow, the fighting back of tears. A boy forced to grow up before his time. Survivor's guilt. _And I had no-one else for a long time until I met my friends_. The words left unsaid. An old story. One written on many faces and not those just scarred.

"....I'm sorry."

"You didn't know..."he said with a small shrug.

"But... I'm German, and you suspected that. You're English and.... you're Jewish." Even before the truth, before the chambers, before the screams were public, they knew what that meant. He read the papers after all.

"So? You're not... HIM. I mean, did you ever hurt someone because of what they were?"

"Once." Zuko swallowed unsure why as the thuds, the roars continued to sound he was telling him this. But something about this child meant you wished to tell him everything. Absolution, confession. Check your judgement at the shelter door. Or so he hoped. "No twice. My father said it was a good thing, I kind of hit a kid in the face because he was... Jewish.... but my Uncle he told me it was wrong. He had to leave after that. My father wasn't pleased and when I stood up to him... he flicked a finger to his scar. "Well you know."

He looked up to him in challenge at the boys look of concern (not pity, not such an emotion one would reserve a pathetic animal but one of actual genuine affection), "I didn't do it for the kid. I did it for my Uncle. I even threw a few bricks during _Kristallnacht- _you know the shop windows_. _My dad was so proud, and I felt good for making him proud at the time... NOW do you hate me? Like you should?"

Aang paused before answering.

"We're at war. Bombs are falling. We're both stuck here for now and who knows? We might not live to see tomorrow. A bloody nose to some kid I don't even know and some broken windows hardly seems big now even if it _is_ wrong. Besides, you feel guilty now. I can tell."

Zuko blinked.

"Why else would you tell me?" Aang said calmly, "You didn't have to, and for all you know I could have thrown you out."

"You?!" He snorted all the same relief washing over him. He'd almost forgotten how good it had been to laugh. He'd done precious little of that.

Aang puffed out his chest in mockery of himself and said in a hoarse voice as if immiating a very old gentleman. "Young man! Show some respect! I dragged your ass into this world and I can drag you out!"

"Pretty small world." Zuko muttered as he glanced around. Another few booms sounded, and he glanced up.

_'Uncle'  
_  
The younger boy followed his gaze to his roof and sighed, dragging him underneath the bunk bed.

"It's cold." Aang supplied. "Might as well get some rest while we can. You're shivering."

And Zuko gave a weak smile. Even the boy could tell he was frightened. Other children mocked and scorned him, and even adults had snorted in public shelters due to his older age, but with every beat of death from the skies he felt the ever decreasing certainty that his Uncle would return. He had no-one else. And he'd felt that was his own fault somehow. He even at odd times missed his father, his sister, the one who had screamed at her Uncle when he'd tried to take her too, but especially his mother, only a faded memory now.

But as the younger boy clutched to him under the blankets, Zuko suddenly felt... peaceful.

During a war. As hell was raised. As elements mixed. As fire scorched the air and the earth and planes flew below clouds. Two young boys, one an English Jew, the other a German who had been so close to being raised an anti-semite, two unlikely friends in the midst of a war, in the storm, hung on.

Britain might have thought they had to stand alone.

But from that very moment, Zuko wouldn't have to.

--

_A/N: Everyone seems to make the Avatar cast American in AUs (heck I've got it planned for a later prompt), and while it's unsurprising given the show is American, they well, act American and most fans are, I decided to have a crack at making Aang British, and Aang a Jew in addition to Zuko being German (not one of the presecuted minorities that left but just a relation to one of the Germans who felt they had to leave due to the political climate and perhaps personal issues which are just typical for Zuko). And stuck in a shelter together during the Blitz. Did you know that ten thousand Germans and Austrians joined the British Air Force in WW2? Well this is kind of my tribute to them. By making Iroh one of them. I'm not sure how much they might care for a tribute involving a one shot AU fanfiction of an American cartoon of a slash pairing (even if it is light and actually is pretty much platonic), but I hope they'll like the thought anyway if they happen to find it by accident (search engines can be wacky like that). Pretend Iroh is younger though I guess. It seems like they're kind of sometimes forgotten about though. I was never taught about them in school for instance, heck I only learned about them because I like history in general and my dad is a nut for that kind of thing (WW2). I chose Zuko's German surname at random and Aang's is the most common current Jewish name in Britain. I also figured it must have been hard sometimes for the kids at the same time. I'm betting there was occasionally some bad times, even though most people WOULD have been pulling together. But kids got left behind. Or ran away rather than getting evacuated. It happened. _

_And hey just because it isn't remembrance day doesn't mean we can't pay tribute. Try to pretend Zuko's a bit younger though maybe too._

_I really think the only person I remember of ACTUALLY serving in the German army in ww1 and the British one in ww2 was called 'Sulzbach', but I may be wrong. I hope he doesn't mind me adding Iroh 'Rall' there along with him either way. :) _

_I'm not the type of person who goes all teary eyed or patriotic of course. But ever since I heard Germans fought on the British side: this gnawed at my brain. I don't pretend however that it is 100% historically accurate however. For instance I have no idea if they REALLY knew Germans fought on their side too at the time or printed them in the newspapers._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Duty**_

_Set after WAT but before the Fire Bending Masters. Slightly inspired by Darth Animus since her fic actually first brought to my attention that Zuko was seperate from the group as well as having Aang move him closer to them. As well as giving Zuko nightmares. But here's a different take._  
_--_

Aang had many responsibilities as the Avatar. He knew that, though he had usually afforded himself some time to be a child. He knew that in order to gain a grip on his sanity, he almost had to. True, a selfish part of him simply yearned for this as well, that a small piece of childhood could be kept, and like every other human on earth, he was not completely free of selfishness, but generally speaking Aang was not a very selfish person.

He had a duty to the world, to two worlds if you counted his role as a bridge to the spirits, and he had to help them achieve balance. To maintain or to bring order where there was none. At twelve years old. The weight of his responsibilities at times terrified him, in the darkness of the night, and Aang himself was a light sleeper. In the daylight he maintained his cheerful outlook on life, most of the time at least, but he had not yet overcome _all_ of his nightmares. Thanks to Katara, they were fewer and further between but they still sometimes happened.

Flying or sometimes walking helped clear his thoughts, when meditation wasn't a tempting notion.

He had stepped past the room in contemplation, the pricks of a nightmare he could not actually remember driving him forward when he heard a wet snort and a slight sob.

At first he had thought it might have been a very small child, and without thinking too much on the absurdity of such an idea immediately stepped into the room, forgetting at first who was really stayed there.

He squinted in the darkness, and then recalled the occupant. Of course, it was Zuko, and a part of him cursed himself for forgetting.

He looked at him in silence for a moment as he twitched.

"Zuko?" He whispered, concern in both his voice and face. But Zuko saw and heard neither and he saw him cling to his blankets desperately, his shoulders hunched and trembling.

Without thinking too much on the subject at all, Aang did something which probably would have given Katara a seisure. He sat on the bed and brought a palm to the sleeping firebenders shoulder whispering into his ear:

"It's okay Zuko. You're safe here. I promise."

Slowly, ever so slowly, the shoulders began to sink, relaxed and at ease. At first Aang thought he heard a strange sound coming from him, and to his surprise saw that Zuko was sucking his thumb.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Aang smiled, really more overjoyed rather than amused at this display of sleeping innocence, something he didn't know Zuko was capable of. "And if Sokka finds out, well just between you and me, he does it too."

And though there was little light to let him know for sure, he had thought he had smiled at that.

Aang brushed a piece of hair from the older boy's forehead, slightly surprising himself that he was acting so comfortably around him after all that had happened between them and sighed:

"I'm kind of scared too you know about everything. Who knows Zuko, maybe you'd understand, I mean you are a Prince and all; all this expectation... I don't know how I'm going to do it." He raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least you'll be teaching me firebending. At least I know I've got that area covered. Tomorrow... well it really is a new day."

He leant forward and whispered in his ear:

"I'm glad you're here Zuko. I really am. Thank-you for not giving up on us. I'm sorry I gave up on you, even if it was just for a little while."

An almost satisfied sigh was released from the older boy, and Aang knew it was time to go, to leave him to hopefully happier and more peaceful dreams.

Aang felt better already as he placed his hands around the back of his head and walked back to his sleeping spot. He vaguely realised however that it was strange that Zuko was sleeping apart from them. He'd keep an eye on him tomorrow night, he decided. If it happened again, maybe he could somehow get Zuko to sleep with them. Just being with someone sometimes made things a bit better, he knew that better than anyone.

The Avatar's duty was to restore and maintain balance to the world. And the Prince's present duty was to help him achieve that by teaching him firebending.

Both _Aang's_ and _Zuko's_ duty however was to help the other achieve balance from within. They simply weren't fully aware of that just yet.


	4. Chapter 4

--  
_**Secret Admirer**_.

_My least favourite of what I've done so far. Ah well. Was pretty sickly (as in headache/ dizziness) when I was editing this as well as making my next chapter of my Monsters Inc multichapter. Expect even more mistakes and unnecessary rambling. I tried humour and feel like I failed._

_--_

Zuko had had an unusually good haul that year. FIVE cards in all stuffed in his locker, all from secret admirers. Not one of them however had been in the curvy familar text he'd secretly hoped to see. Such a sight he was sure would have made his heart skip a beat, and he cursed raising his own hopes like that.

'Besides, you never sent him one yourself you coward.' his conscience nagged, sounding disturbingly like his sister. The concept of his sister being a source of moral guidance of course, was enough to disturb anyone.

Still, it wasn't all bad. Having five cards was a definite ego boost, not that he'd have admitted it out loud. He'd recieved the odd card here and there before but nothing on this level.

Without paying proper due care and attention however, he ripped the fifth card from it's envelope without really thinking about it.

Only to be met by an absolute EXPLOSION of glitter.

He suspected Ty Lee. It looked like her hand writing and it was just like her to do something like this.

It had gotten everywhere, all over his books, his backpack, but even worse, himself. He then spent a good five minutes trying to wipe the offending substance off his face by using a mirror he had in his locker, but even has he walked away he knew his maticulous removal was probably futile. The annoying thing about glitter was that no matter how hard you tried to get rid of it, there would still be some there days later, and you wouldn't notice it until it caught the light.

The first person who made a comment about logically impossible pro-creative vampires and romance novels was dead.

DEAD.

Zuko was officially thrown into a bad mood again and on the war path. Glitter could do that to you. Especially if you were a teenage boy.

"Hey Zuko!" the senior turned and looked slightly downwards hoping his face had not started to flush, as it sometimes was prone to do so whenever that particular person said his name.

Of course, it was him. His best friend, a freshman called Aang. Sometimes Zuko could not believe he had fallen for someone so young as easily as this. But as soon as Aang had entered high school, Zuko had come to the startling conclusion taht Aang was very attractive. The concept of him liking guys a well as girls had been shocking of itself, but AANG? His best friend?

But Aang was an easy person to love. Particulary for older people. He wanted to be a journalist, to travel the world, but Zuko often said he'd probably end up breaking his journalistic integrity by helping people- because that was just who he was. Like I said, he was easy to love just for being him. But it was even more complicated than that for Zuko. Aang had met him at nine, and Zuko had been thirteen, and the foster care system tended to throw many strange people together, and they'd been two of them- when Zuko although adamant that he wished to return to his father despite that being impossible, was currently undergoing channels to be adopted by his Uncle.

Aang had later been adopted by a Buddhist family himself.

They hadn't started out as friends, or at least Zuko hadn't thought of them that way, but in the foster home for those few months, as the third eldest kid in a place heaving with snotty little brats (from Zuko's perspective), the younger boy had taken it upon himself to include the two older boys (Zuko and Jet) in many activities.

Jet was sometimes happy to oblige (or come up with some 'smooth' excuse), but Zuko had never been, not to mention not having the same demeanor in order to get out of them. Still the boy had been relentless even as the boy stormed off to sulk.

"Come play with us Zuko!"

"Hey want to see my drawing of you Zuko?"

"Hey Zuko, did you hear I-"

"SHUT UP!" he'd finally yelled one day, "GET THIS THROUGH YOUR HEAD- I DON'T LIKE YOU. DON'T TALK TO ME- EVER! UNDERSTAND?! AND STOP SAYING MY NAME."

Zuko's speech patterns had often engaged with what modern cultures refer to as 'capslock' in those days, though if you'd tried to compare him to another popular fantasy series at the time as well as another scarred and messy haired teenager, your death would have been at the very least more merciful than comparing to someone with an unhealthy attachment to glitter.

One had to have standards after all.

He'd learned to instantly regret this however as he found himself suffering from the backlash of the age old lesson 'be careful what you wish for'.

He had got his wish. Aang did not speak to him.

He no longer waited for Zuko to talk to him in the mornings (thus making himself horrendously late for school when he was actually an early bird). He no longer asked him to join in in games. He didn't even ask him to pass the salt in meals.

As time went on Zuko became increasingly aware of one inescapable fact: Aang apart from his Uncle was really the only one who had given a damn.

Oh, he didn't mean about his situation. Zuko had been a rather self centered teenager in a lot of ways back then, but looking back he saw that people had clicked their tongues and were sympathetic to his family problems but... that was the only reason they let him get away with his temper tantrums and his general immaturity among other things at a higher tolerance level than most teenagers were granted. But ultimately... that wasn't Aang. He'd been interested in ZUKO. He'd merely wanted him to smile because he wasn't, and he didn't tolerate him because of his circumstances, he did so because that was who he was all over. And he'd actually wanted to help him for simply someone who needed help and that he might make a new friend. If Zuko told him to leave he did so. And he had. And now he was realising to his horror: he MISSED him. He WANTED to be friends with a kid almost four years his junior.

At first he'd thought it was his lonliness turning to desperation, and perhaps that was partially true. At least with the kid there, he didn't descend into the depths of depression. He was at the very least a distraction from that, something Zuko despeartely needed.

And Zuko had... thrown it all away.

He'd quickly resolved into trying to tell Aang that he took back what he said,. He'd had it all planned in his head- he'd take the boy to the side, he would be polite (for once) and say firmly that he was okay with the boy hanging out with him. It had been difficult however, as the boy had constantly been avoiding him, even when Zuko began following him (as well as starting to fight with Jet). It was only when Zuko in a pure and utter fit, in his usual grace, had slammed him against the wall, yelled out he was finally sorry and then stalked off, his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

Aang had however gone back to him. And to his credit, after that day they pretended that the whole episode had never happened.

Aang however, at the present time was looking at him pretty closely. At fourteen, he was definitly getting taller, and Zuko knew he would inevitably over take him completely some day. He already came up to his nose, and Zuko flushed as Aang stood to close for comfort his eyes travelling all over his face.

"Is that... glitter?" he asked sounding as curious as he was amused.

"Secret admirer." he grunted by way of explanation trying not to stammer at his proximity.

"Wow. She must REALLY love you in that case." Aang grinned. "There's a lot of it."

Quickly composing himself, Zukos snorted. "I don't think girls know what romance MEANS anymore. I mean, when you find sneaking into someone's BEDROOM without them KNOWING is romantic..."

"And you would k now all about that huh Zuko?" a voice called out lazily.

Jet. Of course, who else?

"Honestly Jet, could you be any MORE of a cliche?" Sokka said sardonically, appearing beside Aang and putting a friendly arm around him. "Appearing at the right moment to give a cutting remark?"

"Isn't that what you just did?" Aang asked sounding puzzled.

Sokka thought about this and removed his arm. "Good point. But whatever, my own point still stands." he shrugged.

"What are YOU doing here?" Zuko ground out to Jet as if this exchange had not happened.

"I'm here to talk to my favourite little man." Jet smirked, placing a brotherly arm around Aang.

"It's okay guys." Aang sighed before they could say anything, "Well, what is it Jet?" He was rather apprehensive given the feud between him and his best friend. But he was willing to give the Junior a chance to explain himself all the same. "And I'm not really little anymore." he added.

"Hey, I know, in fact I was just was wondering if you got any cards."

"Huh? Oh I got three."

Jet crowed out his support calling him the 'little player'.

Zuko had to stop himself from choking and conveniently forgot he had recieved five. Aang had THREE people sniffing round him? Maybe even MORE. He after all had not sent one, it was possible there were others which had noticed him.

Aang attracted people all the time. He was like an opposite pole magnet to the rest of the world sometimes for God's sake.

"Yeah. One was from Katara though- you know as a friend."

Jet snorted at his girlfriend's sentimentality in his eyes. However it was no secret (except to Jet and Aang and maybe Katara herself) that Katara had her own little small crush on him. Both Zuko and Sokka were of the opinion Katara could do far better if she just opened her EYES. But then Zuko secretly hoped Aang would like him, so was quite relieved at her blindness.

Aang seemed to remain stubbornly straight, much to his dismay, and Jet being observant in a cruel sort of way, seeming to catch on to his feelings for Aang, used this to his advantage- to rub his face in the fact that Aang liked girls with every opportunity.

"I also got one from On Ji- you know I was thinking of asking her to the dance."

"Doesn't she have a boyfriend?" Sokka cut in, much to Zuko's relief.

"Really? She does?"

"Yeah, that Hahn guy."

"Oh... wow." Aang said. "Maybe not then, I don't want to get anyone into trouble..."

Jet began to laugh. "Lock up you girlfriends gentlemen." he snorted, still oblivious to his OWN girlfriend's feelings on the matter.

"Maybe I can ask her TO dance though- as friends. Maybe Hahn won't mind that."

"...I highly doubt that Aang." Zuko said sharply.

"Whatever." Jet said, beginning to tire of this, "What about lucky number three?"

"Oh. It was... Meng."

"Meng?"

"Hey, she's nice! She's just a bit... forward." he finished off lamely.

"More like CREEPY." Jet grunted, "What is it with you and stalkers kid?"

"...for the last time Jet, Zuko sn't a stalker. He's my friend. It was years ago. Just let it go. You know, sometimes I think YOU are a stalker though." Aang muttered sounding displeased as he glanced at Zuko.

"Huh?" Zuko also looked confused.

Sokka's own eyes widened and he began to crack up, "Oh man Aang, you might be on to something!"

"What?" Jet said sounding outraged.

"Well let's review shall we?" Sokka said, sounding amused. "You're ALWAYS there. ALWAYS ready to make some cutting remark to Zuko- your timing is... it's TOO good Jet. It's like you're following him or something. You sure you shouldn't have a long talk with my sister or something? Seems like something she should know about."

Jet began to splutter. And Zuko looked surprised himself but then realised... they had a point. Jet's appearances as cliche as they were for the school bad boy-cum-bully, WERE far too good to be true on his end. How else could he know when to cut in unless he'd been watching them from afar, listening, just waiting for the right moment to strike? No-one was THAT lucky when it came to opportunities to be a collosal jerk.

"So what you're saying is..." Aang paused for dramatic effect. "JET has a crush on..."

"I'M NOT GAY!" Jet yelled outloud before he could finish his sentence, causing many teenagers in the corridor to stop and stare at them, Jet turning red in the process. "And even if I WAS, I wouldn't touch him!"

But Sokka and Aang were laughing too hard at this, and even Zuko had to smirk a little bit, this was an unusual turn of events.

Aang also eventually composed himself enough to say; "Oh come on Jet, what's wrong with him? He's an attractive guy, hey I'D have him."

At this Zuko blushed, but he was soon distracted due to what Jet had said next.

"I would never touch that... that FREAK. Look at his ugly scar! Can barely stand to look at him, how could anyone love him? His own father couldn't! Hell, his mother wouldn't stick around for him either!"

The words echoed throughout the halls.

Zuko swallowed, they stung him and he tried to tell himself he was 18 now, and too old for tears but was beginning to struggle to do so he gripped his fists.

Sokka simply shook his head at Jet and muttered: "Not cool man."

Jet turned to leave, or perhaps to bark at people to go away but soon found he couldn't move. He then glanced down to see Aang. He had grabbed him by his shirt and dragged his face down to his by forcing Jet on his knees.

The younger boy glared down at Jet his nostrils flaring.

The only time he had been more furious had been when Jet had almost got Katara hurt in a mosh pit accident.

And then Aang punched him really hard in the face.

Looking back, Jet's almost imagined Aang's eyes had burned white.

But then Jet had a very strange imagination.

--

"So you're banned from the dance." Sokka muttered later.

"Yeah... Gyatso is going to KILL me." the boy mumbled sounding pained. "I don't know what happened! That wasn't me! Violence wasn't the answer! It never is! Why did I do that?"

"Love does crazy things to people." Sokka smirked all the same. "I think Zuko found it kind of hot."

"Shhh. I though you promised you wouldn't say anything about that." Aang said looking around nervously.

"I haven't, but YOU should."

"Please. What are the odds that HE'S pansexual too? Low I'll bet." Aang grunted.

Sokka sighed and placed an arm around the boy "Just promise me you won't keep this charade up TOO long. Personally, I think you'd look pretty good together. Besides you know Zuko, he's like my sister, blind to what's in front of him."

"Thanks Sokka" Aang said both in a mixture of happiness and sadness.

--

A few days later, fresh from finally breaking up with Jet after the incident involving two of her best friends and her brother, Katara squinted at Aang, studying him rather closely.

"Is that... glitter on your face Aang?"

Aang laughed awkwardly. Zuko flushed and looked away.  
--

_Zuko... is not a fan of glittery vampires. Neither am I, but I hope twilight fans don't hate me. It's just meant to be a joke. Don't kill me Edward fans! I just think Zuko would get sick of being compared to him if he was in our world (emoness and all that), not to mention a certain wizard back as his S1 self._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Warmth**_

**_--_**

_Thanks for your replies guys! Ah Twilight, you just lend yourself to be joked about in some ways... glitter. :D. And I don't ship Jetara either myself but it seemed like I HAD to at the time. And of course they broke up. :P_

_THIS is bad. _

_Warmth. Zuko's P.O.V. (From Blue Spirit an__d onwards at various random points until the end. Vaguely slashy. But mild. __Very very short.)_

_--_

He turned away from the banner, hoping to snatch much needed sleep.

Zuko tried to forget but it took him some time to do so.

The boy's voice, so inviting, so caring so...

_"Do you think we could have been friends too?"_

The words caught him once more the next time he saw him, as well as when he lay down on the raft, the memories of his defeat in the North Pole.

As a firebender, Zuko is attracted to warmth, his power coming from the sun, and no words or expressions are warmer than that of the airbender, save perhaps for his Uncle, the vague memories of his mother.

The warm body against him as he'd foolishly gone into the blizzard.

He sees warmth in his face when he sees the Water Tribe girl. _No_. This angers him. That look should be his.

In the North Pole he was the only one of the trio to care. Hands so safe and warm to carry him to safety. He was only dimly aware.

_"No, we can't just leave him here."_

He later once again entertained fantasies as he had when he'd first taken his mask, just for a little while: dreams filled with laughter and Ember Island, his family, a younger him, a younger Aang. Friends, brothers... or maybe not brothers at all.

_No._

Dreaming he later realised, was dangerous.

He frees the bison wondering if the boy will ever find out. Though he knows they are not even.

The young monk glares over the waterbender's shoulder, cold, so unlike him, not the warmth he wanted. Angrily he snaps at his Uncle and wants to lunge at the airbender upon his retort. Unsure as to how such small words can get such a reaction like no other, the extreme accusations of the girl did not. Saving him the boy says, some scorn, some edge:

_"Saving you that's what...."_

_Like I did before._

The words left unsaid. No. Zuko vows that this monk should not save him again. He saves himself. He saves his own life by letting his sister sacrifice the one he his indebted towards.

A warm body.... possibly cold now. Or perhaps not. He sends a killer to make sure. But a spark of something... hope? Returns, does the he wish for such coldness? To cool the world? Does he wish coldness in himself?

The words of friendship return. The first rescue. The one event which stays with him, burning brightly.

He couldn't think about that. Zuko was not a fool. Warm invitations ended in cuts and bruises. Dancing both with and against his sister, he tried to harden himself further. Become like stone, be the cold flame. What his father wanted. The only warmth to be the fire he bended.

He found he could not live like that.

His debt is not repayed, the death of the assassin does not make things right- for it was a danger he himself set up. And secretly a stab of guilt, this man died because of him, but he could not be stopped.

Months later though, he lets the boy sink into his arms, an embrace both warm in intent and in deed, and realises, to the boy all is forgiven. He laughs and tells him there is no debt to be repaid. Friendship and love is not based on tallys._  
_


End file.
